Photos: Peg Griffin-Wood of Common Threads Quilt Shoppe in North Liberty works on a Home of the Brave Quilt to be donated to the University of Iowa in honor of all veterans - past, present and future. (Photo by Kirk Murray). Former UI President Walter A. Jessup from the Frederick W. Kent Collection in the UI Archives

UI honors veterans with quilt dedication, film screening Nov. 10

Two Iowa women who have sons serving in the military collaborated on a "labor of love" to create a Home of the Brave Quilt honoring all University of Iowa veterans: past, present and future. The quilt will be donated to the UI and unveiled at the Second Annual UI Veterans Day Reception from 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, one day prior to Veterans Day, in the Iowa Memorial Union Second Floor Ballroom. The event is free and open to the public.

UI staff member Kathy Last and Peg Griffin-Wood of Common Threads Quilt Shoppe in North Liberty worked together on the quilt. Last pieced the patriotic red, white and blue pattern and Griffin-Wood did the quilting. The quilt will be on permanent display in the UI Iowa Memorial Union.

John Mikelson, UI Veterans Center advisor, said this year's reception is especially significant because it marks the 90th year since UI President Walter A. Jessup advocated for the construction of a student union on campus as a memorial for those who died in World War I.

"The UI has a long tradition of strong military involvement from the very beginning. These men and women made major sacrifices and are now here to pursue an education to continue to make substantial contributions to our community," Mikelson said. "We hope that everyone will come out for this special celebration to honor all veterans."

The UI currently has more than 300 student veterans enrolled as well as more than 300 faculty and staff veterans, Mikelson said. The university was included in the Military Advanced Education's Third Annual Guide to America's Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities and is one of an estimated 1,000 higher education institutions in the nation to make the G.I. Job's 2010 list of Military Friendly Schools in September. For more information, see http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2009/august/081709gijobs.html.

The reception will open with the UI Army ROTC Color Guard entering at 3:20 p.m., following by remarks from Drew Hjelm, UI student president of the UI Veterans Association. Hjelm will introduce Iowa Congressman Dave Loebsack, and other UI officials will speak at the reception. Hjelm will present UI Executive Vice President and Provost Wallace Loh with a plaque recognizing the UI as one of the top Veterans' Friendly Schools in the nation.

A free screening and discussion of the film "Lioness," will follow the ceremony from 5 to 7 p.m., also in the IMU Second Floor Ballroom. "Lioness: There for the Action, Missing from History" tells the story of a group of female Army support soldiers who were part of the first program in American history to send women into direct ground combat. Organizers hope to have several "Lionesses" participate in the discussion.

The UI Veterans Association, the UI Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity and the UI Women's Resource and Action Center are sponsoring the film screening and discussion. For more information on the film, visit http://lionessthefilm.com/.

For more information or to request special accommodations to attend the reception, call the UI Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity in advance at 319-335-0705, 319-335-0697 (text) or e-mail at diversity@uiowa.edu. For more information or special accommodations to attend the film screening, contact Cate Hartmann, UI Veterans Center counselor, at 319-335-3152.